17.30.050 Landscape requirements.
A. General Requirements. When different land uses are adjacent to each other, landscaping is one method of minimizing the impact and establishing a transition between them. Plant materials can filter air, curtail erosion, provide shade and maintain privacy.
1. Preserve existing trees deemed healthy, salvageable, and significant located outside of the proposed roadway pavement, within retention/detention basins, adjacent to a preexisting watercourse, or within the proposed subdivision open space areas shall be preserved in accordance with the approved landscape plan.
2. Landscape plant materials, in addition to the healthy cacti and trees retained on site, should consist of drought-tolerant indigenous plant materials and species listed in the landscape regulations of the Arizona Department of Water Resources Pinal A.M.A. Plant List or similar document.
3. Through the life of the development (residential and commercial), replacement of dead trees and required landscaping shall be perpetually provided by the homeowners/property owners association as designated by the applicant during the final plat approval or the individual property owner and shall be completed within three months from the date that the association or the property owner is notified by the city.
4. Landscape and Open Space Requirements.
a. At preliminary plat, a preliminary landscape and open space plan shall provide overview of landscape theme and integration of open space for the proposed development. Note the source of water for irrigation.
b. At final plat, an improvement plan submittal will require full details for construction of landscape and open space designs (as detailed in the Design Standards Manual). This plan shall show all required plant materials location, including a plant list/palette table (list species, size, quantity, and spacing specifications). Irrigation plans shall be included with the landscape plans.
5. Landscape maintenance responsibility shall be clearly identified for all landscaped areas, including common area tracts and within the public rights-of-way. Identify responsible parties to avoid ambiguity, such as the individual property owner immediately adjacent or the homeowners association as designated by the applicant during the final plat approval.
B. Neighborhood (Subdivision) Entry Monuments. In order to enhance the appearance and help identify subdivision entrances, subdividers shall provide landscaping, identification signage and textured pavement at the entryways on at least one major access point to the subdivision to provide a sense of arrival.
1. Landscaping at entryways should be designed to visually enhance all arrival points. Clustering of trees, shrubs, and ground covers should accent focal points and provide variety to streetscape (Figure 4). Trees along the streets shall consist of drought-tolerant indigenous plant materials and species listed in the landscape regulations of MCC Title 18, Zoning.
Figure 4. Landscaping at Entryways
2. Signage shall be attractively designed and submitted along with the required landscape plans for approval. Signs shall be integrated to complement the streetscape and landscaping frontages using a decorative monument base. Soft lighting shall be provided to provide a clear image of the subdivision name. Monument signs shall not exceed those allowed and outlined in MCC Title 18, Zoning.
3. Textured entryway drives (such as decorative stone, stamped concrete or brick) may be incorporated into access points from any collector or arterial frontages (Figure 5).
Figure 5. Textured Entryway Drives
C. Wall/Fencing Requirements. In order to enhance the appearance of the community, through access paths between neighborhoods rather than individual subdivisions are desired.
1. Single and Multiple Residential Standards.
a. The use of solid view-obscuring perimeter walls along the boundary of the subdivision is not permitted except where specifically indicated on the final plat and approved by the economic and community development director. Perimeter walls adjacent to the community open space system shall be view-fences. External orientation of the subdivision to the surrounding arterial, collector and local streets (depending on the project density) as well as adjacent residential development is strongly encouraged and should limit the need for solid view-obscuring perimeter walls.
b. Openings in the perimeter view-fence are required at the end of abutting interior cul-de-sac streets and along the community trail system, if applicable, to provide the desired connectivity to the community.
Wrought Iron View Wall
Masonry Theme Wall With Accent
Solid Wall and Ornamental Iron Combination
Solid Wall and Ornamental Iron Combination
Figure 6. Residential View Walls and Fences (illustrative only)
c. Vegetative screening is encouraged, in addition to walls and fencing, when a residential subdivision is adjacent to a neighborhood commercial development.
Figure 7. Vegetative Street Screening
d. A solid wall is required when a residential subdivision is adjacent to an existing industrial development or land zoned for future industrial use.
e. In the cases where a solid wall is used solely or in combination with view-fencing, the solid portion shall be decoratively treated (split face, single-score, fluted, etc.) on all sides visible to the public to match the residential product architectural style and design (Figures 8 and 9). Any other decorative material accent – or plain block with a finished treatment – stone or brick veneer, should be used on portions of walls exposed to open areas.
Figure 8. Split Face Block Wall
Figure 9. Fluted Concrete Block Wall Texture
f. Walls shall be offset and/or undulating with decorative stone or masonry pillars with decorative capping at a minimum of 100 feet apart with a different finish than the wall infill between the pillars that add visual interest. A low planter wall with landscaping may be built on the public street side of the perimeter wall, in lieu of or in combination with the required decorative pillars. An alternative design that meets the intent of the city code may be reviewed and approved by the zoning administrator.
g. Wire mesh no higher than the top rail may be used when in conjunction with a pipe rail or corral-style fencing but not as a standalone fencing material. Pipe rail and corral-style fencing shall not be higher than four feet. The use of slat-filled chain link fences shall be prohibited.
2. Commercial and Industrial Standards. When solid view-obscuring perimeter walls are necessary or required they shall be decoratively finished (with materials such as rod iron, stone, tile, etc.) on all sides visible to the public to match the commercial and/or industrial product architectural style and design. [Ord. 24-01 § 2; Ord. 20-11 §2(14-6-5); Res. 20-31.]